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What We Learned: Power play, Petrov and goal horns

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The Islanders dropped their final preseason game at Barclays Center, 3-1, to the Washington Capitals. New York now has just one game remaining before the regular season opens Oct.?9 against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Monday's game was far from thrilling, but once again it gave us another look into what the team will be like once these games finally count. So here are a few things we learned:

Preseason: Capitals vist the Isles in Brooklyn

The preseason is winding down and the Islanders will see the Washington Capitals for the first of two exhibition meetings. Following Monday the Islanders will play their final preseason game in Washington D.C. against the Capitals on Sunday.

A few regulars are getting the night off, but the Islanders will field a pretty competitive roster in Brooklyn. Among the forwards on the ice will be Brock Nelson, Frans Nielsen, Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey. Highlighting the defense is Marek Zidlicky, Calvin de Haan and Thomas Hickey.

Poulin claimed off waivers; Isles send three players to Bridgeport

Kevin Poulin is headed to the Tampa Bay Lightning after be claimed off waivers. The Islanders placed the 25-year-old net minder on waivers on Saturday ahead of their preseason matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Poulin has had some rocky times during his tenure with the Islanders. He has 50 NHL games under his belt, but never really managed to fined consistency in his performances. There were times when he played well and looked like he was starting to find a rhythm, but that quickly end and his play would falter. Poulin, selected 128th overall in the 2008 NHL Draft, had a .899 save percentage in those 50 appearances and a 3.07 goals against average.

Islanders make first round of cuts

The Islanders made their first round of cuts on Saturday, releasing three players from their PTOs, putting another eight players on waiver and sending down an additional 10 to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Matt Carkner and goaltender Parker Milner were among the players that had their tryout contracts ended. Carkner was a long shot to make the Islanders roster and will likely end up in Bridgeport for this upcoming season.

What We Learned: Top line shines and special teams talk

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The Islanders won their second preseason game at Barclays Center, 2-1, against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, but lost during the 3-on-3 overtime that took place following regulation. The Islanders were once again tapped to test out the new 3-on-3 overtime rule during the preseason. Tyler Kennedy scored the winner in OT.

Another small, but passionate, crowd settled into Barclays Center for the exhibition matchup between the Devils and Islanders. Here are a few things we learned from Wednesday?s game:

Isles add George McPhee as special advisor to Garth Snow

George McPhee spent last season scouting for the Islanders, and has now been hired?as a special advisor to general manager Garth Snow.

The team announced the hire shortly before 11 AM on Wednesday morning as the team prepared for it's second preseason game at Barclays Center this season. McPhee was the Washington Capitals general manager for 17 years before he was fired on April 26, 2014.

What We Learned: Isles win first preseason game of Barclays era

The Islanders were victorious in their first game at Barclays Center this season, beating the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2, on Monday night, while a second group lost to the Flyers by the score of 5-3 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

All eyes were on Brooklyn's game because a majority of the Isles starters were taking part in that game and it was their first real run-through in their new home. Here are few things we learned from Monday's game at Barclays Center...

Preseason Morning Skate: Isles take ice at new home

BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The Islanders era in Brooklyn began on Monday morning with the team's first ever morning skate at their new home. It was also the team's first look at their new locker room and support facilities.

There will certainly be an adjustment period for the players to get used to their new digs. On the ice, the Islanders tried to get a feel for how the boards were and how the ice was. Despite there being a Madonna concert at the arena just two days ago, head coach Jack Capuano said the ice was good.

Training Camp: New Islanders' defenseman sees good things from team

SYOSSET,N.Y. -- Marek Zidlicky took his first spin at IceWorks on Saturday morning as a member of the New York Islanders.

Less than 24 hours before that, the Isles announced they had signed the veteran defenseman to a one-year deal. Rumors had been swirling for weeks that the two sides had been in talks to hammer out a contract. Zidlicky said everything came together very suddenly.

SYOSSET, N.Y. -- This won't be a lesson Joshua Ho-Sang will soon forget.

Reaction was still rolling in on Saturday as details continued to come out about Ho-Sang's dismissal from training camp after showing up late the first day. The Islanders took a hard-line stance with the young, sometimes controversial, forward. General manager Garth Snow even made a candid remark to Newsday early on Saturday.

Training Camp: Capuano discusses Day 1, second group hits the ice

SYOSSET, N.Y. -- About an hour after the first group of Islanders hit the ice for training camp, the second group was out there for spin at IceWorks.

The second group was highlighted by Frans Nielsen, Kyle Okposo, Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolay Kulemin, Ryan Strome, Kirill Petrov, Ryan Pulock and Nick Leddy. One of the more intriguing items from the second groups skate was the all Russian line (Petrov-Grabovski-Kulemin).

Isles Training Camp: First group enjoys first day of camp

SYOSSET, N.Y. ? The first group of Islanders hit the ice on Long Island early on Friday. Among the players in the first group were John Tavares, Anders Lee, Steve Bernier, Cal Clutterbuck, Mathew Barzal, Josh Bailey, and Matt Martin. Calvin de Haan, Johnny Boychuk, Travis Hamonic, Matt Carkner and Jaroslav Halak.

Head coach Jack Capuano put the group through an energetic practice for the first day.

MSG releases Isles TV Schedule

Islanders fans can expect much of the same when they tune in to Islanders telecasts on MSG Networks.

The Islanders will appear on MSG Networks 77 times this season, with five other games being broadcast nationally on NBCSN. The broadcast crew remains the same. Howie Rose and Butch Goring will be on the call, Shannon Hogan returns as host/reporter, and Stan Fischler is back as a correspondent during home games.

Isles players appreciate unspoken vote of confidence

The Islanders open training camp in a matter of days with the roster remaining mostly the same as it was at the end of last season.

Management has symbolically given the current roster a vote of confidence by the lack of movement during the offseason, and the expectation from the team is to win now. The players in the dressing room have taken notice of the gesture and they're glad that the front office believes in the assembled squad.

Rookie camp: catching up with Joshua Ho-Sang

SYOSSET, N.Y. ? Back for another day of practice at IceWorks, the Islanders? rookies had an early start to their workweek. The group hit the ice around 8:45 with Bridgeport Sound Tigers coach Brent Thompson running the roughly hour-long session.

The group was put through the usual drills and the goaltenders received some individualized attention during the practice. The rookies have been on the Island for the last four days now preparing for training camp, which begins later this week.

Isles' players recall events of Sept. 11 on 14th anniversary

SYOSSET, N.Y. ? Friday marked the 14th anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. The Islanders roster doesn?t boast anyone from the New York area, but the significance of the day is not lost on the team.

Through their time playing hockey in New York, several players have gained a greater appreciation of what the city went through on the morning of and the days following the 9/11 attacks.

Isles' prospect Ryan Pilon leaves junior team

The 19-year-old defenseman is departing the team for "personal reasons" the Western Hockey League club said in a statement released on Friday afternoon. Pilon had been with the Wheat Kings since the 2013-14 season, when he was traded from the Lethbridge Hurricanes early in the year.

Nelson remains unsigned as training camp inches closer

Only a few weeks removed from training camp, the Islanders may have an issue and it isn't their prospective new third jerseys.

With the 2015-16 campaign quickly approaching, the Islanders still have not re-signed restricted free-agent Brock Nelson to a new deal. Nelson's three-year entry level contract ended last season and things have remained quiet throughout the summer between the two sides.

Al Arbour remembered for the lessons he taught during time behind the bench

Former Islanders' general manager Bill Torrey and former captain Denis Potvin were as heart broken as anyone over the news that Hall of Fame coach Al Arbour had passed away?Friday morning.

"Al Arbour was a special person," Torrey said during a conference call with reporters. "He was a special man in all of our lives. He was a great family man, he was a great hockey man. Outside of his family nothing was more important to him than his players and his team. Hockey was a major part of his life."

Report: Isles to begin contract extension talks with Kyle Okposo

The Islanders are in early talks with Kyle Okposo about a contract extension for the 27-year-old winger, according to a report by The Fourth Period (Aug. 24).

Okposo's agent and Isles general manager Garth Snow have had conversations, but they are in the beginning stages of negotiations. Talks are expected to heat up early next month, with the hope of signing Okposo to an extension before the season starts in October. It is unclear if negotiations will continue during the season if a deal isn't reached by the time the 2015-16 season begins.

Isles GM believes character is one of John Tavares' biggest attributes

The on-ice skills of John Tavares are quite apparent to anyone watching him during a game, but Islanders' general manager Garth Snow believes it's his character off the ice that has helped the team the most.

"He's one of the elite players in this league, for sure," Snow told NHL.com. "We were very fortunate to win the lottery the year that we had the first overall pick. His hockey game speaks for itself. Anyone that watches him play realizes he's a special talent.

Isles suing arena management company over Coliseum sublease

Just because the Islanders lease at Nassau Coliseum is up doesn't mean the drama with their former lease partner?Service Management Group Inc. (SMG) is over.

The Islanders filed a lawsuit against the arena management company, claiming that SMG "failed to fulfill the terms of an arena sublease and owes the club at least $1 million." SMG countered on Thursday by arguing that the Islanders defaulted on more than $10 million payments that the team owed before the July 31 expiration date of their lease at Nassau Coliseum. (Newsday, Aug. 20)

Papal visit to Philly could cause traffic headaches after Flyers, Isles exhibition game

Thats what Philadelphia Flyers officials told the Philadelphia Daily News about the scheduled Sept.?25 preseason matchup between the Flyers and Islanders at Wells Fargo Center. Massive road closures, due to Pope Frances' planned visit to the City of Brotherly Love on Sept. 26 and 27, could affect fans trying to leave the exhibition contest. Nearby Temple University will close its campus on Sept. 25 due to the papal visit the following two days

Extra LIRR service being added for Islanders' home games

The Long Island Railroad will be adding extra service to and from Barclays Center during Islanders' home games this upcoming season (Newsday, Aug. 3).

The LIRR will add two additional eastbound trains to Farmingdale and Babylon that will depart Atlantic Terminal 20 minutes after the end of weekday home games. Fans looking for other?lines will transfer at Jamaica. In addition, two west bound trains will be added to the schedule on the weekend along with two extra eastbound trains after games.

Home No More: Nassau Coliseum sheds Islanders banners

For 43 year the Islanders have called Nassau Coliseum home. After the 2014-15 campaign ended, the team began their migration west to Brooklyn.

On Saturday, their departure became complete with the last signage of the team's presence at Nassau Coliseum coming down. Former Islanders Point Blank lead writer Kevin Schultz tweeted out a picture of a barren Nassau Coliseum.

Visnovsky considering options to play in Europe

Defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky is considering options to play in Europe next season.

The 38-year-old blue liner is mulling over starting the 2015-16 season overseas -- potentially in the Swiss or Czech leagues -- while he waits for an NHL offer, according to Slovakian newspaper Novy Cas. Visnovsky told IIHF.com earlier this month that he had been offered another one-year deal by the Islanders.

Mayfield spending the summer preparing for training camp battle

This year's minicamp -- held earlier this month -- would have been defenseman Scott Mayfield's fifth since being drafted by the Islanders 34th overall in 2011. Instead, the Denver University product watched from the stands on the final day of camp, which ended July 11.

"It's good to come out here and watch everyone. Kind of see the younger group of guys," Mayfield said during a conversation with Islanders Point Blank.

Islanders sign Louis Leblanc to 1-year, two-way deal

The Islanders have agreed to terms on a 1-year, two-way deal with Louis Leblanc, a first round draft pick by the Montreal Canadiens in 2009.

Leblanc has spent the majority of his career in the American Hockey League with the Hamilton Bulldogs and most recently the Norfolk Admirals. In 71 games last season with the Admirals, he recorded 14 goals and 15 assists for 29 points. ?Leblanc?did appear in 42 NHL games in 2011-12 with the Canaidens, where he put up?10 points (five goals, five assists). He played in another eight NHL contests in 2013-14.

Pulock still expects competition for roster spot in the fall

Ryan Pulock and Griffin Reinhart were expected to battle for a roster spot when training camp opened in September. When Reinhart was traded to Edmonton during the NHL draft it eliminated some of the competition for Pulock, but that doesn't mean he has a guaranteed spot on the Isles' roster.

"There's still that competition there," Pulock said after the first day of minicamp. "It doesn't give me a free spot. I'm still fighting every inch for a spot, so things really haven't changed that way. But I guess it's one less prospect fighting for that one spot."

Dal Colle and Barzal trying to make two different impressions at Isles mini camp

Michael Dal Colle and Mathew Barzal seemed as comfortable as ever with one another as they left the ice after the first day of Islanders minicamp. Dal Colle smirked as he fielded questions at his stall and chirped Barzal -- who was drafted 16th overall in the recent NHL Draft -- under his breath as the inquisitive media horde began to scatter.

The first day of camp saw Dal Colle and Barzal skate on the same line, with Sebastian Collberg rounding out the unit. Both Dal Colle and Barzal are expected to be impact players with the Islanders, but the two began the week-long camp at much different points in their hockey careers.

After draft, Okposo and Grabner remain Islanders

By Christian Arnold | Jun 29, 2015 | 7:30AM

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Everyone was expecting Garth Snow to make a trade during the NHL Draft. He did, but it did not involve the two most likely players to be dealt there.?

Kyle Okposo and Michael Grabner remain members of the New York Islanders, for now. It was believed that at least one of them would have been dealt on Friday or Saturday. Instead, it was Griffin Reinhart who was sent to Edmonton in return for the 16th and 33rd overall picks in this year's draft.

The market for Grabner and Okposo just was not there during the two day draft being held in Sunrise, Florida. More from Newsday:

Islanders have successful weekend at the NHL Draft

By Christian Arnold | Jun 28, 2015 | 11:03PM

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Islanders' general manager Garth Snow had himself another good year at the draft. New York did not have any picks in the first round, but by the of end of Friday night the Islanders had made two first round selections.

On day two, the Islanders came away with five defenseman to replenish the team's blue line prospects. They even managed to make a bit of history with the selection of Andong Song, the first Chinese born player to be drafted by an NHL team.

The 2015 draft for the Islanders was one in which they could pick the best players available and not for need. They already have a strong group of prospects in the system and now they have the building blocks to make the team very good for many years to come.

Isles get the player they wanted in Mathew Barzal

By Christian Arnold | Jun 27, 2015 | 11:34AM

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Islanders general manager Garth Snow doesn't make a trade without a purpose. So when the Islanders traded Reinhart for the 16th and 33rd overall picks in the draft on Friday night there was clearly a player they wanted.

And that player was Mathew?Barzal.

The Islanders saw the opportunity to grab what could be the steal of the draft after Boston passed on selecting him three consecutive times. When Snow realized Barzal was still there for the taking, he made the decision to trade defenseman Griffin Rienhart to Edmonton.

Draft Ops signs sponsorship deal with Islanders, Barclays Center

By Christian Arnold | Jun 26, 2015 | 8:00AM

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The Islanders will have another new sponsor for their inaugural season in Brooklyn.

Draft Ops, a daily fantasy sports operator, has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the Barclays Center. The agreement includes sponsorship of the Islanders, which includes "on-and-off ice assets" (Forbes, June 24).

The fantasy sports website will also build an on-site?Fantasy Sports Book at Barclays Center. The Fantasy Sports Book?will begin being built in September and Draft Ops will launch it in connection with the Islanders season opener in October.

Tavares enjoys idea of 3-on-3 overtime

By Christian Arnold | Jun 24, 2015 | 12:15PM

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The NHL appears all but set to change the overtime format from 4-on-4 to 3-on-3, which will help decrease the number of shootouts that occur during the regular season.

For Islanders captain John Tavares, the idea of 3-on-3 hockey in overtime is something that he likes. In an interview with the Toronto Sun -- before news broke that the change would be voted on by the NHL Board of Governors -- Tavares explained the appeal it could have for the fans.

"You get a lineup of, say, [Sidney] Crosby, [Evgeni] Malkin, [Kris] Letang going up against [Jonathan] Toews, [Patrick] Kane, Duncan Keith, what?s not to like?? he said. ?I think people might think it?s kind of gimmicky, but I think people will see the best players in the world with open ice make plays, I think it will be fun to play in and special to watch."

Will John Tavares win the Hart Trophy?

By Christian Arnold | Jun 24, 2015 | 10:30AM

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For the second time in three years, John Tavares is in Las Vegas as a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy. The Islanders' captain was a finalist for the NHL's most valuable player honors in 2013, but lost out to Alexander Ovechkin, who is a finalist this season as well.

But tonight in "Sin City", the odds-on favorite to win the award isn't Ovechkin this time, it's Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price. Price is up for two other awards as well -- the Vezina Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award.

Tavares had a banner year for the Islanders in 2014-15. He had recorded a career-high in goals (38) and points (86) while playing in all 82 games of the regular season. Tavares also led the league in overtime goals (4) and he finished third in the NHL in game-winning goals (8).

Kyle Okposo on the trading block? Maybe, maybe not

By Christian Arnold | Jun 22, 2015 | 8:30AM

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The Islanders could be active during the NHL Draft and general manager Garth Snow could be open to trading one of the team's core players.

Newsday's Arthur Staple reported on Saturday night that Kyle Okposo could be on the trading block, according to two leagues sources. There appears to be nothing imminent, according to the Newsday report, but Okposo is in the final year his five-year contract and his $2.8 million cap hit could be appetizing to a team strapped for cap space.

Okposo is certainly in line for a raise once his current deal is up and the dollar amount he likely will ask for could be too much for Snow.

Isles announce mini camp details

By Christian Arnold | Jun 19, 2015 | 3:22PM

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The Islanders will host their annual prospect mini camp in early July on Long Island.

The camp will start on Tuesday, July 7, and run through Saturday, July 11. The Islanders will hold mini camp at Twin Rinks Ice Center at Eisenhower Park. Michael Dal Colle, Joshua Ho-Sang, Griffin Reinhart and Ryan Pulock will be among the prospects that take part in this years camp.

Mini camp and the prospect scrimmage have been held at the Nassau Coliseum and Islanders Iceworks in years past.

Johan Sundstrom leaving for Swedish Hockey League

By Christian Arnold | Jun 12, 2015 | 4:00PM

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Islanders prospect Johan Sundstrom has signed with?Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League (The Score, June 12).

Sundstrom was drafted 50th overall in the 2011 draft by the Islanders. He has spent the previous three seasons playing in the AHL with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He also appeared in 11 games with the Islanders during the 2013-14 season. In 72 games this year, he recorded seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points. During the 2013-14 season Sundstrom scored eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points in 40 games.

His best statistical year came during his first pro season in North American when he put up 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) in 59 games.

How Dan Boyle's decision not to sign on Long Island helped the Islanders

By Christian Arnold | Jun 5, 2015 | 1:30PM

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A year ago today the Islanders traded for the rights to defenseman Dan Boyle.

General Manager Garth Snow attempted to lock him up, but negotiations never really got off the ground between the?Isles and the then 37-year-old veteran. Boyle eventually hit the free agent market and was signed by the New York Rangers to a two-year, $9 million deal. Boyle took less money to play on Broadway, but the two years was exactly what Boyle and agent George Bazos had been looking for.

Boyle's arrival to the Rangers was celebrated, while Islanders' fans felt that the organization had once again been spurned by a big name free agent. But in the end, Islanders should be thanking Boyle for not signing and heading off to free agency.

Report: Isles' VP to take over as president of Sound Tigers

By Christian Arnold | Jun 4, 2015 | 10:30AM

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Islanders' senior vice president Michael Picker will replace Howard Staffan as president of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Fornabio, June 4).

Staffan was the president of the Islanders' AHL affiliate for 10 years and was let go on Tuesday from his position. He also spent four years running Harbor Yard Sports and Entertainment, the company that operates Webster Bank Arena (IPB, June 3).

Islanders owner Charles Wang controls both the Sound Tigers and Harbor Yards Sports and Entertainment. It is unclear at the moment if Picker will work in Bridgeport, on Long Island, or a combination of the two (Fornabio, June 4).

Nine things we learned from John Tavares

By Tim Reilly | Jun 3, 2015 | 11:08AM

1. On the move to Brooklyn - "It's going to be different, but we're all excited."

2. Talking about the atmosphere at the Coliseum in it's final season - "The Coliseum was really something special this season. Especially with the year we had and the way our fan base rallied behind us. It was a special place. It's up to us to carry that tradition over."

Islanders searching for new radio home

By Christian Arnold | Jun 2, 2015 | 4:20PM

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The Islanders?days on 88.7 FM WRHU Radio Hofstra University appear to be coming to a close.

In a Newsday feature highlighting the aspects that Barclays Center want to carry over from the team's days at Nassau Coliseum, CEO Brett Yormark discussed the desire to move to a larger radio station. The Islanders have been on WRHU since 2010. (June 2)

"I think it's fair to say that's probably not a place we'll end up," Yormark said bluntly.

Report: Prospect Robbie Russo will not be an Islander

By Christian Arnold | Jun 1, 2015 | 4:00PM

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The Islanders will not be signing defensive prospect Robbie Russo to a contract, according to Newsday's Arthur Staple. Russo will now become a free agent.

The news comes as a surprise since it would appear the 22-year old defenseman would fit the Islanders defensive system. Russo has developed into a good offensive defenseman, who was a big part of the Fighting Irish's success. During his senior campaign, Russo recorded 41 points (15 goals, 26 assists) in 40 games and was named to the CCM Hockey All-American team. Russo's 41 points were the most by a defenseman in the Hockey East conference. He also led the NCAA conference in goals by a defenseman.

Dal Colle, Generals win Memorial Cup in overtime victory

By Christian Arnold | Jun 1, 2015 | 9:45AM

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For the second year in a row the Islanders have a prospect on the winning team at the Memorial Cup.

Michael Dal Colle, the Islanders fifth overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, and the Oshawa Generals won the Memorial Cup on Sunday after defeating the Kelowna Rockets 2-1 in overtime. Rookie Anthony Cirelli scored the game-winning goal 1:28 into OT to capture the win. Griffin Reinhart, the fourth overall selection in 2012, won the Memorial Cup last season with the Edmonton Oil Kings.

The Islanders' prospect did not end up on the score sheet in the championship game, but he did finish the tournament with five points (two goals, three assists) in four games for the Generals.